


You Still Look like a Movie

by YouGottaBeBlitzenMyHearthstone (Aya_Chi007)



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: All Humans, Angst, M/M, all the feels, non-magic au, past!blitzstone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 04:51:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12269274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aya_Chi007/pseuds/YouGottaBeBlitzenMyHearthstone
Summary: Hearthstone didn't expect to see Blitzen here.





	You Still Look like a Movie

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by Adele's song When We Were Young. The title is from the song as well

    Hearthstone hates when his label insists he goes to these ridiculous parties. He’s a photographer, one of the best in the business admittedly, but there’s no point. Hardly any of the other attendees, decked out in their designer label, brand name evening wear, know sign language and he isn’t about to carry around a dry erase board. That would be humiliating. Instead, he just watches everyone: the way their mouths move when they speak, the shaking of their shoulder when they laugh, the polite nods they give him when they make eye contact because they don’t know how to communicate. No one’s going to bother as long as he manages to produce beautiful shots.

 

    Sighing, he leans back against the wall, his slender hands cradling his camera where it hand around his neck. With his black turtleneck, black jeans, and black boots, he looks every bit the brooding, inspired artist. With the way his silvery hair and pale skin seems to blend in with the white wall behind him, he probably looks like a stain on this perfect party to everyone else. They’re all actors, actresses, singers, musicians, Broadway stars. They all have faces to their names.  
  
  
  
    Hearthstone is just a name, his face hidden behind the camera.

 

    Suddenly everyone’s heads are turning to the door. Hearthstone can see the excitement on their faces. Closer to the door, he catches the flash of cellphone cameras going off wildly. Someone important then, he guesses. The label didn’t tell him any of the guests or who the party was even celebrating. Curiously, he pushes off the wall to join the crowd. He pushes his way to the front just as the celebrated guest arrived. Hearthstone feels his chest tighten.

 

    It’s Blitzen, his curls groomed perfectly into place. His beard trimmed meticulously. He’s wearing a charcoal suit paired with simple red shirt and a white tie and vest. Splash of color. Hearthstone blinks when he realizes one of Blitzen’s arms is wrapped around someone. He manages to tear his eyes away from Blitzen long enough to see the man beside him. Tall, with slicked back black hair, glittering green eyes, and an olive complexion. He’s so familiar, probably because he’s on almost every magazine, billboard, commercial, and ad that has the misfortune of crossing Hearthstone’s eyes. He doesn’t know his name, just knows he’s one of the most famous models right now, almost every photographer clamoring to do shots with him.

 

    And he’s here as Blitzen’s plus one.

 

    Numbly, Hearthstone watches them disappear into the crowd. Well, Blitzen disappears. His model boyfriend practically towers over everyone else. This can’t be happening. He’s not prepared. God, it feels like the room is spinning. He shakes his head, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew this would happen eventually, he had just always hoped it’d be on his own terms. Taking a deep breath, he plunges into the fray.

 

    Unsurprisingly, Blitzen is surrounded by admirers, many of which are wearing his label, _Blitzen’s Best_. Hearth can read his lips, something about this being a great honor. He manages to get close enough to reach out and touch Blitzen’s shoulder… which he does.

 

   Everyone looks at Hearth… including Blitzen. His mouth drops open slightly, his arm slipping off the model’s waist. _Hello_ , Blitzen signs, his movement a bit slow. Hearthstone wonders how much he’s had to use sign language in the past two years.

 

    Hearthstone nods in acknowledgement. _Do you have a minute to talk… in private?_

 

    Something flashes in Blitzen’s eyes, what though, Hearthstone’s not sure. He can’t read him anymore. He nods, turning to say something to the others before looking back to Hearth. _Lead the way_.

* * *

 

      _Hearthstone smiled to himself, simple curve of his lips, as he fiddles with the Polaroid camera he managed to convince his mother to buy for him behind his father’s back. His father never was happy about having to buy him the necessities. Daring to ask for something luxurious like this would have surely lead to a beating. He glances up at Blitzen hard at work, knitting something with red and white yarn. Sneakily, he raises the camera and takes a quick shot of him._

 

 _Blitzen jumps at the the flash, looking over to where Hearth is waving the still-developing picture. He scowls good-naturedly before signing,_ You didn’t get my good side.

 

 _Snorting, Hearthstone responds,_ Sorry, but you don’t have a good side.

 

     _To be fair, that statement was true for both of them. Middle school wasn’t being kind. Hearthstone usually had to cut his blonde hair himself, giving it a messy, jagged look which immediately made all of the teachers peg him for a troublemaker, especially with his penchant for black clothing. Blitzen wasn’t much better off. He had braces, currently fitted with neutral white bands_

 

_Blitzen, the good sport he is, just laughs, shoulders shaking as he finishes off whatever knitting project he was working on. Triumphantly, he holds it up to show Hearthstone._

 

A scarf? _Hearth tilts his head. That’s what it looks like: red and white stripes, like a candy cane, on an oversized stretch of fabric._

 

 _Nodding happily, Blitzen bounces over to drape the scarf around Hearthstone’s neck._ You can grow into it, _he explains happily,_ Besides, you wear black all of the time. You really needed that splash of color to make your outfit pop.

 

     _Hearthstone bites his lip to prevent his smile from growing wider, feeling a slight heat rise to his cheeks as Blitzen fidgets and fusses with the scarf. He lifts the camera again just as Blitzen gives him a blinding grin, almost as blinding as the flash of the camera._

 

How many pictures of me are you going to take? _Hearthstone reads the words on his lips as Blitzen tries to blink the spots out of his eyes._

 

As many as I want, _he answers, smiling as the second picture begins to develop._

 

_A mischievous glint comes to Blitzen’s eyes. He plops himself down next to Hearthstone on the bed, pressing himself against his side. Without warning, he grabs the camera from Hearth’s lax hands, holding it in front of them, as if to capture a picture of the two of them. Hearthstone makes the split second decision to smile before the flash goes off._

 

* * *

 

_Hearthstone never thought the day when he would be out from beneath his father’s roof would come. He and Blitzen both worked their asses off through high school to save up enough money to move after they graduated. They were both going to college in Boston: Blitzen for Design and Hearthstone for Photography. Best friends, ready to take the world on, even if Hearth wanted to be something more. He couldn’t, Blitzen deserved more._

 

_He steps back, admiring the picture board he had just hung over the bright red sofa with the orange and brown accent pillows. It was filled with Polaroids Hearth had taken over the years: one of his brother Andiron after he had first gotten the camera; one of his old bedroom; one of his next door neighbor Inge; and several of Blitzen, some of them even being shots of both of them. Those Blitzen had mostly taken, claiming that Hearthstone needed to be included._

 

_A hand grabs his, spinning him around so he can see Blitzen grinning at him. Hearth smiles, reaching his free hand up to fiddle with one of the piercings in his ear (a graduation dare to piss off his dad one last time, as if he hadn’t been pissed off enough when he had dyed his hair silver after getting into his dream school). Blitzen had definitely outgrown his middle school awkwardness. He has a pink and black bandana pushing his curls off his forehead. He was on the shorter side, but he had filled out surprisingly well. His nose was crooked, almost zigzagged. Hearthstone clearly remembers those trips to the ER. It doesn’t take away from his handsomeness, neither does the small soul patch he has going on his chin._

 

 _Unfortunately, he lets go of Hearthstone’s hand._ You excited? _Blitzen questions, still grinning happily._

 

 _Hearthstone nods before flopping bonelessly on the couch._ Tired. I hate moving, _he complains, half-heartedly reaching for his old Polaroid camera on the coffee table. He had nicer equipment, sure, but he still loved that camera. It was his first one._

 

 _Blitzen picks up the camera for him before settling, pressed up against his side like normal, camera raised for a picture. Hearthstone gives his customary closed mouth smile. That is, until Blitzen’s other hand comes up to grab his chin, making Hearth face him so he can kiss him._  
_  
_   
  
_That’s how a Polaroid shot of their first kiss, complete with  Hearthstone’s eyes wide open and cheeks blushing furiously, ended up on the board._  


* * *

Hearthstone leans back in the iron chair on the back deck, the stone steps leading off into the garden paths. Blitzen opted not to sit, instead standing properly in front of Hearthstone. They regard each other silently. God, somehow it seems like just yesterday and a million years ago since he’s seen Blitzen. _You seem to be doing well,_ Hearthstone finally signs, _Still in Italy?_

 

 _How did you know?_ Blitzen signs back slowly, almost clumsily. It’s odd. Those hands used to be able to form signs almost as quickly as Hearthstone’s.

 

     _That’s where you said you were going when you-_ Hearthstone drops his hand, biting his lip. He doesn’t need to finish that sentence. They both know what happened.

 

    Blitzen closes his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted. Hearthstone remembers those looks: staying up the night before a field trip, Halloween movie marathons, cramming for exams and finishing essays in college. _I shouldn’t have said those things,_ He finally signs, moving his hands carefully. _You were never a burden._

 

 _Obviously, I was,_ Hearthstone counters, feeling heat surge in his chest. _Your friends were always asking why you were dating me when you could get someone better, someone who wasn’t defective. Right in front of me too, just because I couldn’t hear. Then when you got the chance to work abroad, you-_

 

 _Took an opportunity._ That was spoken, Hearthstone having to focus on Blitzen’s lips to get the message. _A job working at one of my favorite brands, getting the opportunity to submit designs! The chance to jump start my own successful line at Fashion Week!_

 

Hearthstone stays still. He remembers Blitzen telling him he was chosen for that position. He had been giddy with excitement, so proud of his boyfriend. He had asked so eagerly, so naively, when they were leaving.

 

     _You said me going with you was too much trouble._ Hearthstone’s signs are sharp and abrupt. _I couldn’t learn a new language, I wouldn’t be able to get around on my own, how could you possibly focus on your work if you had to take care of me?_

 

Blitzen’s eyes narrow. _You’re the one who didn’t even want to try a long distance relationship._

 

 _You wouldn’t have had time for it,_ Hearth signs back with a sneer. _Absorbed in your work, so concerned about being a hit, being successful, no time for anyone else. God, B-L-I-T-Z, when did you turn into your mom?_ That was a low blow, Hearthstone knows it, but he can’t stop. _At least I was able to become successful in my field without becoming my father. At least I didn’t leave._

 

    Tears are burning in Hearthstone’s eyes. These were all of the things he wanted to tell Blitzen when he walked out with all of his things packed. He couldn’t even call after him, couldn’t make a plea for him to stay, to reconsider, because Blitzen hadn’t even looked back.

 

     All of the fight seems to flee Blitzen’s body, causing him to crumple slightly. He drops into the chair beside Hearthstone, cradling his head in his hands. The fire in Hearthstone’s chest slowly burns out, leaving him raw and aching. In all the times he thought of seeing Blitzen again, he never thought it’d be like this. He doesn’t feel justified, he doesn’t feel free from the grief and heartbreak he went through. He just hurts.

 

    Finally, Blitzen looks up, tears leaking from his eyes and his expression miserable. _I’m sorry_ , he signs slowly, hands shaking. _I’m so sorry. I wish I hadn’t done those things, but I made my choice. I can’t change that._ He stands up, turned slightly away from Hearthstone.

 

    Panicking slightly, Hearthstone stands up, grabbing Blitzen’s hand before he can walk away. Quick as he grabbed it, he lets go again as soon as Blitzen looks at him. _Can I-_ his hands drops before he just simply points to his camera.

 

    Blitzen seems nothing less than surprised, but he nods. He moves to stand behind the chair, hands resting on the back. Hearthstone takes a deep breath, bringing up his camera and peering into the viewfinder. How many times had they been in this exact position, with Blitzen being the focus of Hearthstone’s attention through a lens?

 

    After he’s captured the shot, Hearthstone looks down at the view screen of his camera. It’s beautiful, almost like the poster for a movie, with the setting sun and rose bushes in the background. Gingerly, he takes the strap off from around his neck and offers the camera to Blitzen so he can see as well. Blitzen blinks in surprise, but takes the camera nonetheless.

 

    He looks to Hearthstone after he’s seen the shot, absently rotating the camera in his hands. _It looks good._ Hearthstone nods, about to sign right before he sees Blitzen’s lips forming words again. _Do you still have the scarf?_

 

Hearthstone freezes, even as Blitzen steps beside him. _Packed away somewhere, yeah, probably,_ he finally signs casually. He’s not going to admit the scarf is tucked away in a shoebox with all of the old Polaroids hidden under his bed.

 

    Blitzen nods, carefully raising the camera so the lens is carefully positioned between their faces. Hearthstone understands all too well what’s happening. He glances over at Blitzen, who just gives him a watery smile. _One last picture?_

 

    Taking a deep breath, Hearthstone forces himself to look to the camera again. In the split second before Blitzen captures the image, Hearthstone gives a weak smile.

**Author's Note:**

> I have now been properly initiated as a Blitzstone shipper, because I have written angst for them, yay! I hope you enjoyed and I'm sorry if there's any typos~


End file.
